The Hurricane (1937)

Mia Farrow, Jason Robards, Max Von Sydow, Dayton Ka' Ne - color - 120 minutes

ASIN: 6305236496

In the 1920s, the governor of PagoPago's daughter falls in love with a young Samoan chief who is already betrothed. The couple try to escape, but a devastating hurricane threatens them and the entire island. This Dino DeLaurentii multi-million dollar epic features some of the most sophisticated special effects in movie history. Filmed on Bora Bora, it includes gorgeous scenery, sensual dancing, and impressive sets.

The great John Ford directed this rousing 1937 adventure with such invigorating physicality that the movie is never compromised by its cornball plot. It's an island adventure from the old school of tall tales, and the title says it all--the tropical romance between native girl Dorothy Lamour and suntanned hunk Jon Hall is established simply so it can be tested by a meddlesome island governor (Raymond Massey) and a tropical storm that provides one of the most physically impressive climaxes ever filmed. The storm remains as awesome as ever simply because it triumphantly captures the power of nature in the throes of a raging tempest. Massive waves, driving wind, and expert use of miniatures make The Hurricane a marvel of late-1930s special effects, but the sheer spectacle is more than matched by Ford's efficient economy of story. The romance is lush and primitive, in keeping with the sun-drenched setting on the fictional island of Manikoora, and as Hall's heroic character must endure wrongful imprisonment and the rigors of escape, Ford maintains a constant atmosphere of foreboding. The director's masterful use of sound and picture is best captured in the lonely peal of a church bell--it's both a reaffirming sign of life and, when the bell finally goes silent, a dreaded signal that the hurricane has taken its ultimate toll.

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